Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary

JAPANESE

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO Good morning. I would first like to give you a report of the Cabinet meeting that was held today. The meeting approved eight general and other measures, and also approved the promulgation of a treaty, a Cabinet order, and personnel decisions. A minister's statement was made by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications regarding the March allocation plan for the fiscal 2010 Special Local Allocation Tax.

I will also provide a brief update on the situation regarding the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Yesterday, water was sprayed over the Unit 3 reactor both from the air and the ground. Water vapor has been rising from the reactor, which we believe indicates that water has definitely reached the reactor. At this point, however, we have no conclusive data on how much water is actually inside. I have been informed that preparations are now being made for the continuation of the spraying operation this afternoon.

Efforts this morning, I have been told, will be focused on drawing electric power to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station from external sources and, if simultaneously possible, to attempt to take aerial images of the reactors to gain an idea of the situation following yesterday's water-injecting efforts.

Furthermore, a team from the Tokyo Fire Department has reached the vicinity of the site. This team will spray water into the storage pool of the Unit 1 reactor, provided this can be done without disrupting the Self-Defense Forces' water-injecting efforts at the Unit 3 reactor. The situation at the Unit 1 reactor is not as urgent as that at the Unit 3 and 4 reactors, but I have been informed that such operations are being considered since it is important to do everything possible to cool the reactor.

As for the readings of radiation levels around the power station, on the whole levels that could pose a risk to human health have not been indicated, although high figures have been detected from time to time. Even slightly high figures detected at some monitoring points are not an immediate threat to human health. Terrain, climate, and other factors can influence these figures, though, so we are now advancing efforts to boost monitoring activities in the surrounding areas to enable a more detailed analysis of the situation.

That's all from me.